Improvement in machinery for tramming, staffing, and fine-dressing of millstones



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

1. T. GILMORE.' Dressing Mi'llstonevs.

Patented oct. 26, 1662.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes.

JAMES T. GILMORE, OF BURTON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR TRAMMING, STAFFING, AND FINE-DRESSING 0F MILLSTONES.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,776, dated October 28, 1862.

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES T. GILMORE, of Burton, in the county of Geauga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tramming, Stafng, and Fine-Dressing of Mfillstones; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view in perspective of my improved machine; Fig. 2, an elevation of one side of the machine; Fig. 3, a partial elevation of its opposite side; Fig. 4, a front elevation with the arm turned up; Fig. 5, a plan view. Figs. 6, 7, and S exhibit the apparatus for securing the machine to the bed and runner stones, Fig. 6 being a central section; Figs. 9 and l0, side and plan views showing the'arrangement of the machine when not required for the parallel movement, as will be explained, the letters `of reference marked thereon indicating similar parts in all the figures.

The object of my improvements is the embodying in one and the same machine an arrangement of parts by which the various operations of tramming, staffing, and ine cracking and laying out the principal andsubordinate furrows on the surface of millstones can be done with great accuracy, ease, and dispatch, the said parts possessing the quality of accurate adj ustability, so as to insure the certainty of the various operations mentioned.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, Fig. 6, is au upright hollow cast-iron journal with four branching feet, B, as seen in Fig. 5. The upper portion of said journal is thinnerfwhich leaves a shoulder, C, Fig. 6, around its base. Said journal is closed at the top,`which is perforated with a central and three other holes. The extremities of the feet are provided with set-screws C', Fig. 5.

D, Fig. 2, is asleeve, also of cast-iron. Said sleeve is provided with a double flange, E, Fig. 5, through which tightening-bolts are put. On the side opposite said ange is a circular plate, F. `(Shown by the dotted lines in Fig.V 4.) Said sleeve, with thefiange and plate, are formed of one casting.` The ange E, after the inside is turned true, is cut through longitudinally, forming a double ange, as before mentioned. From the center of the circular plate F projects a pin, (not seen,) on which to pivot a cross-plate, G. The form of this plate will be seen by reference to Fig. l.

H, Fig. l, is a dovetailed guide running the whole length of the said plate.

I is a hollow circular recess. This, with the bearings J and J', Fig. 4, are cast in one piece.

K, Fig. 1, is a dovetailed slide fitting on the dovetailed guide H.

L and M, Fig. 4, are openings through said slide K, which allow a small beveled geared wheel, N, andanut, O, to come through. Said slide has also a flange, l?, Fig. 1, projecting at right angles from its outside face, and is castvon it, leaving a space, P, as shown. upper part of the said slide is pierced with three screw-holes for set-screws l, 2, and 3, Fig. 5.

Q, Fig. 4, is a long screw supportedon the bearingsJ and J. On said screw are placed the beveled geared Wheel Naud the nut O, before mentioned. On the right-hand end of said screw Q is fixed a cranleplate, `R, as seen in Fig. 4.

S, Fig. l, is an arm, and is bolted through the flange P, 4so that it can be turned up, as will be hereinafter explained.

Tis a dovetailed guide cast on said arm., and is formed as shown in Fig. 1. The lower corner of said arm, at the end next tothe slide K, is notched out to admit a set-screw, U, Fig. 3. On the back of said arm are fixed two supports, V and V', Fig. 5, through which lis inser-ted a long shaft, XIV, and is secured by a collar, X. At the endof the said shaft is a small beveled geared wheel, K', Fig. 4, meshing into the beveled geared wheel N, the other end being provided witha crank-plate, Y. Z, Fig. 2, is aclip bolted to the lower part of said arm, as shown in Fig. 2.

c, Fig. 5, is a cap-plate fitted to the top of the hollow journal A, Fig. 6, to which it is secured by screw-bolts b.

The above-described parts are put together as follows: The sleeve D, Fig. 2, is put around the hollow journal A and secured thereto by the plate a and screw-bolts b, the screw-bolts of the double ilange being' turned just enough to hold the sleeve snugly to the journal, on which it turns. The dovetailed slide K is now put on the cross-platc G, which plate is piv- The 4pivoted to the stock j at m.

oted to the circular plate F of sleeve D, and secured thereto by two clips, c and c', Fig. 5, so that said plate will turn on the central pivot of said circular plate. The long armS is now secured to the iiange l? by the bolt d, the beveled geared wheel X meshing into the other wheel, N.

I will now proceed to describe the construction and putting together the device for holding the staffing block, tramming quill, and diamond for fine-cracking.

e, Fig. 1, is a dovetailed slide having a hollow socket, into which, on the top, is inserted a set-screw, f, and on the side a tighteningscrew, g. Said slide is secured on the dovetailed guide of arm S by means of set-screws hand 7i. To aid the close-fitting of said slide to the guide, a gib or thin piece of metal, as seen in Fig. 2, and marked g', is placed between the upper dovetailed surfaces.

The staffing-block t', Fig. l, is a small circular head, about two inches in diameter, and is attached to a short shaft,which is inserted into the socket of slide e, as seen in Fig. l.

The mechanical device for using a crackingdiamond is fully delineated in Fig. 3. j is a stock fitting into the socket of slide e,- k, a diamond secured in ahandle, Z, said handle being A flat spring, n, is secured in said stock, impinging on the upper part of the diamond-handle, as shown. A hooked finger, 0, passes through a hole in said stock and catches on the top of the diamondhandle. The opposite end of the said hooked finger is pivoted to a short lever, p, which has its fulcrum on a bearing, q, projecting from said stock. The lever is turned back from its bottom, as shown', and the end furnished with a convenient handle, r.

Figs. 9 and 10, one being a side elevation and the other a plan view, represent the machine as fitted without the mechanism for the parallel movement of the arm, as hereinafter explained, the long arm S being pivoted to the circular plate E, on which is cast a shoulder, t.

The devices for securing the above-described machine to the millstones are constructed and arranged as follows: u, Fig. 6, is a stem or shaft having a screw-thread cut on its top. I he lower part branches into two straps, v and o. w is a collar or hoop, and a" tight screws passing through holes in the lower part of said branching straps. y is a lever-nut, and z a washer. This is the arrangement for fastening the machine to the bed-stone. For the runner-stone grappling-arms a and a, pivoted to the shaft u, (which is somewhat lengthened for the purpose,) are used.

To put my abovedescribed machine into operation the rst thing is to secure it to the stone. For the bed-stone the branched-strap arrangement is used. These are placed on the spindle'b, Fig. 6, and the collar w driven on.

The screws x x are then turned, causing them to impinge on the side of the spindle, and to keep the branched straps rm and steady.

being moved back and forth on the guide.

These movements are made in connection with the raising or depressing of the branching feet by means of the set-screws. When the machine is found to stand true to the general surface of the stone, it is firmly secured in its position by tightening the lever-nut y. The

machineis now ready for the operation of staffing. This is effected by moving the arm horizontally over the stone and operating the slide with the staffing-head back and forth, the face of said staffing-head being previously rubbed with the usual coloring. The arm S can be turned up when necessary, as seen in Fig. 4, so that the staffing-head can be replenished with color without disturbing its fixed position.

One of theimportant operations in dressing millstones is the cutting or cracking7 fine lines or furrows on the land7 surfaces between the deep furrows, and a diamond is now often employed for this purpose.

My arrangement of a stock, provided with the mechanism as described, inserted into the socket of the slide e, admits of a diamond being used to greater advantage than by any other known method. In using this device, the operator holds the stock j by the handler, and pushes it from him, which releases the point of the diamond from contact with the stone, by the hooked finger-,o drawing back the diamond handle I. The operator now draws the diamond-stock toward him, causing the hooked finger to release its hold of the diamond-handle, which allows the diamondpoint to touch the face of the stone, by means of the pressure of spring n, thus making a eut or crack on its way back. This movement is repeated for every cut, the arm S moving in a parallel course during the operation. The parallel movement of the arm is effected by turning the crank-plate R. The space turned of course regulates the space between each cut. Sometimes it will be more convenient to operate the movement of the said arm by using the other hand. For such purpose a crank-plate is attached to the long shaft W.

The object of the screw and beveled gear arrangement is for the purpose of obtaining a parallel movement of the arm S, and is used mainly for cracking the fine furrows between the principal and subordinate furrows, by means of a diamond, as before explained. This parallel movement is of use in setting the arm S to any required draft when laying out the dress.

Sometimes it is required to have a slight senre 3,

concave surface on the face of the stone, commeneing a short distance from the skirt f and deepening toward the eye. To meet this requirement-,the arm S isprovided with a settingscrew, U, Fig.v 3,`as stated,,which impinges on .the shoulder P of slide K, said screw being regulated by the depth of the concavity. 1 Fig. Y

3 explains this arrangement. 1 to 2 isa horizontal line; 3 to 4, the concavity, and 5 the elevation of therarm S from a horizontal line. Again, it might be required to have the tool of the socket-slide e stand in an oblique posi'- tion with respect to the horizontal surface of the stone, in, order to operate on the inclined sides ofthe deep furrows. To effect this the cross-plate G, which, as before statedis attached to the circular plate F, can be turned inthe direction of the arrows'seen in Fig. 4, so as to incline the tool, the clips c and c' being loosened for the purpose.

The arrangement for holding, guiding, and using the diamond is such that after the stock is adjusted in `thejso'cket of the slide e, so that the lpoint1touches`3the more elevated parts of the stone, it can besecnred rmly in its position, so as to avoid the possibility of its touch ing the lower portions of the stone or droppinginto holes. Should the diamond-point, however, by mistake or chance strike against an abrupt part-easl the edge of a hole, for instance-the springe would cause it to give way, the handle being pivoted to the stock, as explained. The diamond will always move in a steady and direct line as it passes ver the surface of the stone, the tension'nthe spring being just enough `tokeep it to its work and to yield laterally while making the eut.

Unlike the old4 method of staffing with the common long straight-edge, which has frequently to lie on the whole diameter of the Stone, my machine will accurately staff any ne portion of the stone from its center, independent of its opposite portion. This is due to the rigid movement and exactlevel position of .the arm over all parts of the surface.

Having thus fully described the nature, coustruction, and operation of my machine, what I claim therein as new, and desire lto secure by Letters Patent, is

r-K, cross-plate G, dovetailed vguide H, screvv-` shaft I, nut O, beveled geared wheel N, and crank-plate R-s`aid several parts connecting with the circular pivot-plate F, clips c and c',

sleeve D, double ilange E, ho1low'journal"A branch feet B, set-screws c, cap-plate a, screwbolts b, and lever-nut? the whole constructed and operating as described, and for theV pur.- pose specified.

3. The mode described for attaching the machine to the bed and runner stones by means of the branched straps and grappling-arms, secured as described, for the purpose set'forth.

4. The employment of the small tramming and staffing block `i, with its shaft tting into the socket-slide c, and adjusted and secured by the screws f and g, as described, and operating in combination with the horizontal movement of the arm S, for the purpose specilied.

5. The peculiar arrangement for using and controlling the diamond, inv combination with the said arm S, the parts 'constituting said arrangement being forlned of ,the stock j, diamond-handle rl, pivoted to 4said stock at m, spring a, hooked fingere, .lever p, and handle 1', constructed and operating as set forth, and lfor the purpose specified.

6. Attaching the arm S, with its dov'etailed guide T, socketslide e, and screws f and g, to the circular plate F, said plate having a shoulder, t, as shown in Fig. 9, and using the same in combination with the sleeve D and hollow journal A, as described, and for thn purpose stated.

.iAMEs T. GiLMonE.

Vituesses: l l

AsA CHILns,V J. F. SINGLE.'- 

